News

Ambassador Kohona, officials visit Sinopharm headquarters

Published

1 year ago

2021/09/25

Ambassador of Sri Lanka to China Dr. Palitha Kohona together with Embassy officials visited Sinopharm’s Beijing Institute of Biological Products Co. Ltd. (CNBG) on Thursday (23). The Vice President of the Sinopharm HQ, Shi Shengyi, the President of the Biological Products Division Zhu Jingjin, and the Vice President of the International Division Yan Bing welcomed the Ambassador and escorted the delegation on a tour of the massive facility.

The Ambassador visited the central-control room and the vaccine production plant capable of producing five billion doses per year. The Ambassador expressed his gratitude to the Sinopharm for supplying 23 million doses of vaccine to Sri Lanka on commercial terms.

The delegation was also briefed on the gradual progress of the CNBG from its commencement in 1919 to its current cutting-edge facility.

During the visit, the Ambassador reiterated, the advantage of establishing a COVID-19 vaccine refilling plant in Sri Lanka. He emphasized the local market opportunities and wider market access in the region. The Sinopharm management responded positively.

Previously, on 07 September 2021, the Ambassador visited Sinopharm and handed over a letter from President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to the Chairman of the company, Liu Jingzhen.

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Stay on course and don’t go back to the past – Dr Indrajit Coomaraswamy

Published

3 hours ago

2023/03/24

Priyan

Former Governor of the Central Bank delivering the keynote address at a high profile Webinar hosted by the Central Bank of Sri Lanka today (24) said that Sri Lanka must implement the structural reforms proposed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) without relaxing like in the past or else we will be in a deeper economic mess.

The webinar was titled ‘What is next for Sri Lanka in the wake of the IMF programme’

News

Sustainable economic development goals cannot be achieved unless attention is paid to mitigating climate change – Sagala Ratnayake

Published

3 hours ago

2023/03/24

Priyan

President’s Senior Adviser on National Security and Chief of Presidential Staff Sagala Ratnayake said sustainable economic development goals cannot be accomplished without taking steps to mitigate climate change.

He said this while participating in the 10,000 sapling planting program organized by the LEO Youth Vision 2048 Club and the LEO Club at the Royal College, Colombo on Thursday (23rd).

This program was organized in view of President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s birthday, which is today (24), and the required plants were distributed to the main schools of the Colombo District.

News

SF claims thousands of police and military personnel leaving

Published

15 hours ago

2023/03/24

Thilina Walpola

By Saman Indrajith

Thousands of police and military personnel had left the services recently as they did not want to carry out illegal orders, Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka told Parliament yesterday. According to the war-winning army commander 200 policemen have resigned during the past two months and 25,000 soldiers have left the army during the last two years.

“We urged the law enforcement and military officials not to follow illegal orders. We will reinstate them with back pay,” he said.

Fonseka also urged the President and the government MPs not to take people for fools.

“Sri Lanka owes 55 billion dollars to the world. Ranil’s plan is to borrow another seven billion during the next four years. So, in four years we will owe 62 billion to the world.

Ranil and his ministers ask us what the alternative to borrowing is. These are the people who destroyed the economy and society. They must leave. Then, we will find an alternative and develop the country,” he said, adding that the IMF loans had made crises in other nations worse.

“Ranil says that by 2025, we will have a budget surplus as in Japan, Germany and South Korea. These countries are economic power houses, and this comparison is ludicrous.”